Gear Picks
Your Gear Guide for On-the-Road Power
Grab one of these portable power stations and you’ll never have to adventure without a charge again
Featured
$20.00
from Amazon
This battery is just four inches long and weighs less than three ounces. It only has one USB port but carries 3,350 mAh of power that will charge your phone once on the fly.
$130.00
from REI
All you need to charge your phone and cook a camp meal are some sticks—not gas canisters—that’s the beauty of the Campstove 2. It features a 10,000 BTU burner that runs thermal energy generated by a small fire. The heat produced also feeds the on-board 2,600 mAh battery, which can store a full phone charge. We dig the LED dashboard that offers real-time info on fire strength and battery level.
$1800.00
from REI
This has a battery capacity of 1,425 watt-hours and the ability to power everything from your mini fridge to your laptop and camera. It’s incredibly easy to use (there’s an app to control it with your phone and a screen that will give you the estimated run time) and has outputs for every form of power you could think of. At 45 pounds, it isn’t light, but true off-the-grid power has its price.
$100.00
from REI
This isn’t much bigger than the palm of your hand, but it puts out 350 lumens of light for up to 250 hours. It also serves as a power bank that can charge your smartphone up to four times. There’s an Android and iOS app that enables you to control the light from your phone.
$150.00
from REI
The Charge 4 is a speaker-and-battery combination, delivering high-quality audio in a portable, waterproof package with 20 hours of playback time. It weighs more than three pounds, so it’s not the lightest speaker on the market, but it also has a 7,500 mAh battery that can charge your phone twice and still leave you with several hours of play time.
$200.00
$180.00
from Backcountry
10% off
The River Bank bridges the gap between a small power bank designed to charge your phone and a large portable generator made to power just about everything. It features two USB-C ports and two USB ports as well as a Qi wireless charging pad, so you can charge a laptop, phone, drone, or even jump-start your car. It holds its charge for up to six months and only weighs two pounds.
All Gear
$98
$64
from Huckberry
35% off
Marine Layer makes supremely soft clothing that feels buttery on the skin. That’s why our reviews editor likes the men’s yoga joggers for light workouts and lounging around the house.
$129
$97
from Backcountry
25% off
Made with recycled material, the Black Hole is a travel companion that you can feel good about. It’s equipped with an internal sleeve for laptop storage and smaller pockets for a wallet or phone. Our tester noted the Black Hole is also a great option for pure gear hauling.
$499.00
$276
from Amazon
45% off
Contributor Andrew Skurka tested the Ambit3 Peak for more than 1,500 miles and 300 hours in 2018. For ultra runners and backpackers, the Ambit3 Peak excels in three important ways: its long-lasting battery, its barometer, and price. “It makes the traditional outdoor ABC watch obsolete,” he wrote.
$125.00
$99.00
from Amazon
21% off
This portable jump starter is the size of a sandwich, but has the juice to single-handedly revive a vehicle. Charge it via the included USB cable, and throw it in the trunk for additional peace of mind wherever you drive.
Sponsor Content
ATG by Wrangler™ Mixed Material Shirt (Women’s)
$40
from ATG by Wrangler™
Bring comfort and style with you on your next outdoor adventure. The Women’s Mixed Material Shirt made with 85 percent recycled materials is quick drying with UPF 50 to keep you cool and protected from the sun. The comfortable stretch and zipper pockets add the functionality you need to play (or work) hard outside.
$230.00
$161.00
30% off
This was our favorite sport climbing pack in our 2021 Summer Buyer’s Guide. “Minimalist looks hide this hauler’s true capabilities,” our testers wrote. “A guidebook sleeve, three external pockets, and a clamshell opening keep you organized.”
$50
$40
from Moosejaw
20% off
The Storm is a perfect example of how far headlamps have come. It’s moderately priced but pumps out 370 lumens from a proximity beam—ideal for working in close quarters or as a spotlight when you’re on the trail. We really like the battery meter, which shows how much juice you have left in your AAAs. Oh, and it’s fully waterproof.
$175
$131
from Backcountry
25% off
Outside Business Journal contributor Amelia Arvesen put the Abisko Trekking Tights through the wringer: “I’ve worn them on hikes, on multi-pitch climbs, to my circuit class at the gym, and to keep me warm when hanging around town,” she wrote. “Needless to say, they’ve become my go-to pants.”
$95
from Huckberry
“It’s easy to spend upward of $500 on field binoculars, but for the beginner or intermittent enthusiast, Nocs makes a solid pair at an affordable price,” our tester wrote. “[The Nocs] are the pair I reach for when I’m scoping out a new face at the birdbath.”
$23.00
from Backcountry
“This sock did everything extremely well, but mostly it was just damn comfy,” wrote our Gear Guy. The Hiker provides a nice cushion for the heel and forefoot without being too bulky, and the fit is super snug. The merino-nylon-spandex blend is odor-resistant and never itchy.
$280
$140
from Backcountry
50% off
The Flight Futurelight is one of our favorite shells for trail runs in any type of weather. “The Futurelight membrane acts like a nano-sieve: it’s permeable to air but not water, so it’s fully weatherproof and remarkably breathable,” wrote tester Martin Fritz Huber in our 2020 Summer Buyer’s Guide.
Gear Picks is a curated selection of products we’ve tested and heartily recommend. We stand by this gear—and the brands that sell it—and many of our editors and writers use this stuff weekly. Whenever possible, we provide a link to a past review so you can make sure it’s something that suits your lifestyle—ideally at a steeply discounted price. Happy shopping—and gear-picking.